Screen for irrigating-ditches.



No. 818,288. PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

W. B. RAGE.

SCREEN FOR IRRIGATING DITGHES APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1905.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR iiw/' 449,14 WILMM @2 05.

f v B) ATTORNEYS came sriirns -PAT WILLIAM B. RAGE, OF LAKE, IDAHO,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO.

LEBBEUS A. MURRAY, OF LAKE, IDAHO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed 3eptember '7. 1905. Serial No. 277,414.

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lake, in the county ofFremont and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in Screens for Irrigating- Ditches, of which the followingis a speciii cation.

My invention is an improvement in screens for irrigating-ditches; and itconsistsin certain novel constructions and combination "of partshereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 isape'r'spective view of my improved screen. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionof the same, and Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the means forretaining the screen in its vertical position.

In the practlcal'application of my invention I provide a casingA,comprising a bottom 0. and he side walls a) a", the walls beingconnected at their upper: ends by cross-bars a". The casing is intendedto form a part of the irrigating-ditch, being interposed in the lengfhthereof at such points as may be de slre A screen Bis arrangedtransversely of the casing, the screen comprising a transverse bar I)and the longitudinal bars b secured thereto, the said bars being spacedapart and parallelwith each other. Journal-pins"b b on the ends of thetransverse bar engage bearings in the sides of the casing, and upon thesides of the transverse bar are mounted vanes 11, the said vanesstanding at right angles to the direction of length of the longitudinalbars. The transverse bar is journaled at such a height in the casingthat the ends of the longitudinal bars will be close to the bottom ofthe casing when the screen is in a vertical position, and the saidvertical bars are arranged to cover the entire width of the spacebetween the side walls. The outermost longitudinal bars upon one side ofthe casing are provided with pins 6 b the said pins being arrangedtransversely of the bars and projecting a slight distance beyond thesurface of the outermostbar.

A lever C, having secured to one end thereof a block or catch '0, ispivoted upon an uprights, arising from the side wall of the casingadjacent to the longitudinal bars provided with the pins, the said leverbeing supported at such a height that the block will engage the pins tomaintainthescreen in a vertical position. v

A second lever D is pivoted upon an upright d secured to thecrossbarafland the said lever is pivoted at one of its free ends to thefree end of the lever O.

A bar E is secured to the free end ofthe lever D and depends therefrom,havingaslid ing motion through the bearing'a arranged upon the cross-bara", and the said depending bar is provided with a plurality of p'rforations 6 for engagement by a pin 6 to limit the downward motion of the"depending bar through the bearing.

A float F is slidably mounted upon a vertical rod f, the rod beingsupported by a bearing-block a on the bottom of the casing and by thecross-bar a.

In operation the force of the water in the ditch acting upon thelowere'nd of the screen will maintain the same in avertic'al position,the catch on the lever c preventing rotation of thescreen. Rubbishcarried by the water will lodge against the bars of the screen and willdam up the water above the same. As the water rises the float iselevated until it engages the lower end of the depending bar E. Afurther elevation of the float elevates the said bar, rocks the lever D,and throug'h its connection with the lever O releasesthe catch, allowingthe screen to rotate half round, thus allowing the rubbish to pass underthe screen. As soon as the rubbish passes along the ditch theheightofthe water above the screen is lowered, the float drops, and thecatch on the lever O falls into' position to engage the pin on thescreen. The flow of the water will clean the bars of the screen at eachhalf-rotation thereof. Theangular vanes upon the screen are for thepurpose of assisting in the rotation of the screen, since were the vanesnot provided the screen would have a tendency to lie parallel with themotion of the water instead of'rotating half round. I

While I have shown my improved screen as being mounted within a casing,itis 'evi' dent that the casing might be dispensed with, a simplerrameworkbeing providedto 'sup-' port the parts. My improved'screen isen tirely automatic in its action, requiring no attention, the rubbishbeing released when the water above the screen attains a predeterminedlevel, and the height of said level may be regulated by the length ofthe bar E, which projects below the crossbar. By inserting the pin 6 indifferent holes a greater or less extent of the bar may be allowed toproject below the cross-bar, and as a consequence the catch will bereleased at a greater or less height of the water above the screen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing,comprising bottom and side walls, cross-bars connecting the side wallsat the top, a screen within the casing and comprising a bar arrangedtransversely thereof, pivot-pins on the ends of the bar and engaging theside walls of the casing, spaced parallel longitudinal bars secured tothe transverse bar by their centers, pins in the outermost longitudinalbars on one side of I the casing and projecting beyond the side of thescreen, vanes on the transverse bar ar ranged at a right angle to thelongitudinal bars, a lever pivoted on the side wall and provided with acatch for engaging the pins of the screen, a lever pivotally mountedupon a cross-bar and having pivotal connection with the first lever, abearing on the cross-bar, a

bar secured to the free end of the lever and depending through thebearing, a bearingblock on the bottom of the casing, a rod supported bythe bearing-block and by the crossbar, and a float sliding on the rodand adapted to engage the depending bar to release the screen.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing,comprising a bottom and side wall, cross-bars connecting the side wallsat the top, a screen rotatably mounted transversely of the casing, alever pivoted on the side wall and provided with a catch for maintainingthe screen in a vertical position, a lever pivotally mounted upon across-bar and having pivotal connection with the first lever, a bearingon the cross-bar, a bar secured to the free end of the lever anddepending through the bearing, a bearingblock on the bottom of thecasing, a rod supported by the bearing-block and the crossbar, and afloat sliding on the rod and adapted to engage the depending bar torelease the screen.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingcomprising a bottom and side walls, cross-bars connecting the side wallsat the top, a screen rotatably mounted transversely of the casing, meansfor restraining the rotation of the screen, a vertical rod supported bythe casing, a float sliding on the rod, and means whereby when saidfloat is elevated it may release the screen from the restraining means.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingadapted to form a part of an irrigating-ditch, and comprising a bottomand side walls, cross-bars connecting the side walls at the top, ascreen rotatably mounted transversely of the casing, means formaintaining the screen in an upright position, a float mounted forvertical movement in the casing, and means whereby the upward movementof the float may release the screen-retaining means.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingadapted to form a part of an irrigating-ditch, comprising bottom andside walls, a screen rotatably mounted transversely of the casing, meansfor retaining the casing in a vertical position, a float adapted to beactuated by the water in the irrigating-ditch, and means connecting thefloat and the screen whereby the motion of the float may control themovement of the screen.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingcomprising a bottom and side walls adapted to form a part of anirrigating-ditch, a screen rotatably mounted transversely of the casing,means for main-' taining the screen in an upright position, and meanswhereby the height of the water in the casing above the screen maycontrol the movement thereof.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casingadapted to form a part of an irrigating-ditch, and comprising a bottomand side walls, a screen rotataby mounted transversely of the casing,means for maintaining the screen in an upright position, and meanswhereby the rise of the water above the screen may release saidretaining means.

8. A screen 'for irrigating-ditches, comprising a plurality of spacedparallel bars mounted to rotate within the ditch, vanes at right anglesto the direction of length of the bars, means for normally retaining thescreen in a vertical position, and means whereby the rise of the waterin the ditch above the screen may release the said retaining means.

9. A screen for irrigating-ditches, comprising a plurality of spacedparallel bars mounted to rotate within the ditch, vanes at right anglesto the direction of length of the bars, means for normally retaining thescreen in a vertical position, and means whereby the rise of the waterin the ditch above the screen to a predetermined level may release thesaid retaining means.

10. A screen for irrigating-ditches, comprising a plurality of. spacedparallel bars mounted to rotate within the ditch, vanes at right anglesto the direction of length of the bars, means for normally retaining thescreen in a vertical position, a float within the ditch, and meanswhereby the rise of the float may release the said retaining means.

11. A screen for irrigating-ditches, comprising a plurality of spacedparallel bars mounted to rotate within the ditch, vanes at IQO rightangles to the direction of length of the bars, means fornormallyretaining the screen in a vertical position, a float within the ditch,and means whereby the rise of the float to a predetermined level mayrelease the retaining means.

12. The combination with an irrigating ditch, of a screen rotatablymounted therein, means for normally retaining the screen in a verticalposition, and means whereby the water in the ditch above the screen maycontrol the motion of the screen.

13. The combination with an irrigatingditoh, of a screen rotatablymounted therein, means for normally retaining the screen in a verticalposition, and means whereby the rise of the water in the ditch above thescreen may release the said retaining means.

14. The combination 'with an irrigatingditch, of a screen rotatablymounted therein, means for normally retaining the screen in a verticalposition, and means whereby the rise of the water in the ditch above apredetermined level may release the said retaining means.

WILLIAM B. RACE.

Witnesses:

WINFIELD K. SHIRAL, WALTER S. MITCHELL.

